NASA's Next Mission: Deep Space

NASA's Mars Science Lab and Curiosity rover are the next steps in a long-term plan to travel farther and faster into space. Check out this visual tour of the future spacecrafts and tools that will get them there.

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The Space Launch System's mobile launcher undergoes structural testing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. With a 47-foot-tall base, the launcher features a 355-foot-high gray, steel tower. The structure still needs to be modified for fueling, venting, electricity, communications, and crew access to the Orion spacecraft. Credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

For goodness sake, the search for knowledge is not a waste of money. Besides, NASA's budget is miniscule compared to other money gobbling black holes that are contributing to the US's deficit. The military alone gulps down more cash in one year than NASA spent in the first FIFTY years of its existence.

You really did not have to do a Slide Show on this, now did you? Just imagine how disappointed Sheldon and the guys will be. They don't watch 'Penny-Vision". And please remember, they have a larger prime time audience than Letterman, Leno and Conan combined. Think about that.

Lee I was thinking the same thing, but the Star Trek fan in me objected. :) All kidding aside, don't you agree that we should try to understand our universe? Striking the balance can be difficult but there are a number of places money for the things you mentioned can come from besides NASA. Do you really think we should abandon missions to outer space?Brian Prince, InformationWeek/Dark Reading Comment Moderator

With a 15 tr4illion dollar deficit why are we wasting this kind of money on an acti8vity with very little return other than pure space science? If we put this money into mass tran,education ,or infrastructure it would post a good economic return.Other than space communications and earth data NASA is a big black money hole.